Forgotten the pasta sauce for dinner? Rather than parking and queuing at the supermarket, pop to a drive-through and buy it without leaving the car. No time to do a big shop? Order online and when you go to collect it, staff will meet you at the door with your goods as an electronic alert let them know you arrived.

Run out of lettuce? Rather than buying it pre-packaged, pick it fresh from a miniature greenhouse at the supermarket, then buy honey collected from beehives on the roof.

Acai granola1:00

Give Weet-bix and toast a rest, and try this healthy breakfast recipe instead. It's great for brunch, too!

April 20th 2018

9 months ago

Coles recently rolled out ‘quiet hour’ at selected stores, where lights are dimmed by 50 per cent, music is switched off, register and scanner volumes are lowered and there are no noisy PA announcements or trolley collections. The initiative stems from a partnership with Autism Spectrum Australia to help people who experience sensory overload and distress in busy stores.

Here are some of the other intriguing trends coming to a supermarket near you.

Back to the future of shopping

“During the 1970s, supermarkets were more like a grocer’s store with woodgrain floors and bakers taking bread out of the oven,” associate professor Gary Mortimer, a marketing expert at Queensland University of Technology Business School, says. “You could talk to the butcher about cuts of meat and try some ham at the deli.

“In the 1980s, supermarkets became more clinical, with white lino floors and fluorescent lights.

We moved to scanner registers, then self-serve registers. You’d walk into and out of the supermarket without talking to anyone. But we’re going back to the past and the theatre of supermarket retailing.”

In January, Woolworths unveiled its next-gen supermarket in Sydney’s inner west. The Marrickville Metro store allows customers to pick ‘living lettuce’ from a hydroponic set-up, see artisan bakers and sushi chefs at work and buy flame-roasted chickens that have been cooked to perfection. Mortimer says more supermarkets will soon start to make shopping more of an ‘experience’.

“Supermarket shopping is mundane and it’s something we do two to three times a week,” he explains. “Customers are looking for a point of difference and supermarkets are creating the community engagement that’s usually found at farmers’ markets.”

In-store farming

Some US supermarkets are constructing beehives on their roofs to produce honey that goes directly from hive to store. In New York, boutique stores are installing rooftop greenhouses, with some stores growing more than 100 tonnes of herbs, greens and tomatoes a year.

At the cutting edge is German company Infarm, which has designed ‘smart modular vertical farms’ for supermarkets. Two of Germany’s largest chains, Edeka and Metro, have just started using the technology, which allows them to grow up to 1200 herbs or leafy green plants per month in a single two-square-metre unit.

The units are installed in supermarkets and monitored so they grow a constant supply of fresh produce. Each farm is a controlled ecosystem with temperature, light, soil type and nutrients tweaked for maximum production and flavour, and supermarkets choose what vegetables or herbs they grow according to their customers’ tastes.

“We bring a world of choice right into your neighbourhood without having to compromise on quality, safety and taste,” Osnat Michaeli, co-founder of Infarm, says. “Whether that be a mint [variety that’s originally] from Peru or an ice plant from the sandy beaches of Jaffa, by eliminating the distance between farm and fork, we offer produce that’s retained all of its nutrients and intense natural flavour.”

Plus, the fact this sustainable produce couldn’t get more ‘locally grown’ means it also drastically reduces customers’ carbon footprints.

Tracking gets high tech

As with many areas of modern life, technology will play an increasingly important role in supermarkets, Nathan Cloutman, senior industry analyst with market researchers IBISWorld Australia, says. Online grocery shopping currently accounts for about 3 per cent of supermarket expenditure in Australia and Cloutman believes this will rise, which is why Coles and Woolworths are investing in ‘dark stores’.

“These supermarkets have no customers – just staff members picking online orders from the shelves and sending those orders to customers as soon as possible,” Cloutman says.

Woolworths has also invested in data analytics firm Quantium, which combines data science and artificial intelligence to fine-tune information about customers.

“The idea is to be able to track what consumers buy and when and where they buy it,” Cloutman explains. “Retailers can then use that data to choose which products to stock. It looks at stores individually to boost the efficiency of each one.”

Mortimer believes micro-location technology – which lets retailers know a customer’s exact whereabouts – is also on the rise, and says Dan Murphy’s is the first retail business in Australia to introduce it.

An app sends customers a push notification to let them know when their order is ready and alerts store staff when the customer is within 400m of the store.

“If you’re part of the Dan Murphy loyalty program and order wine online, as you get closer to the store to collect your order the store gets a push notification that you’re nearby,” he explains. “Staff grab your order and meet you at the door. We’ll see that blend of digital and in-store [shopping] happening more.”

From theme parks to food boutiques

Some supermarkets may be upscaled to theme-park-style experiences. Italy is leading the way with Eataly World, a 100,000-sqm site in Bologna that features 47 restaurants and bars, 40 farming factories making everything from gelato to cheese and beer, and educational ‘rides’ that illustrate how food is grown and produced. There are also workshops – learn to hunt for truffles – and cooking classes.

At the other end of the scale, we’ll see more boutique supermarkets showcasing locally-made products.

“These supermarkets will have a curated range – perhaps 4000 items instead of the 20,000 items [generally found in suburban stores] – and the range will be manipulated based on local demographics.

“But supermarkets will never die out because we don’t only shop for provisions but for social engagement, too.”

No checkout required

For shoppers in a hurry, retail giant Amazon has opened a grocery store in Seattle that has done away with queues and cash registers completely. Customers at Amazon Go simply download an app and pass through a gated turnstile.

Cameras and sensors then scan what shoppers remove or replace on the shelves and they’re billed direct to their credit card that’s on file – no checkout required.

Meanwhile, a Russian entrepreneur may have an even speedier solution. Semenov Dahir Kurmanbievich has filed a patent for a drive-through supermarket so you can shop from the comfort of your car.

It proposes that shoppers park in a bay and use buttons to choose items from a column with vertically rotating shelves.

The items are placed on a conveyor belt and sent to a checkout. The customer then drives to a payment window and collects their shopping. Watch this space...

3 ways to be a super shopper

1. Look around

Be aware of product placement on supermarket shelves, because ‘eye level is buy level’. More expensive items are often at eye level so look above and below for similar items at cheaper prices.

2. Choose wisely

Misted vegetables look appealing and a certain amount of sprayed water does keep them hydrated, but too much can create mould. If you choose sprayed vegetables, check for signs.

3. Take a photo

Snapping a pic of your pantry and fridge before you go will help you avoid doubling up on any groceries.